Conisborough Notes – Election, Vicar’s Rebuke, Promenade

March 1888

Mexborough and Swinton Times March 9, 1888

Notes from Conisboro’

Election

Now that the election is over and the excitement has subsided, things seem very flat and stale in the village. For the first day or two after the declaration of the poll, the battle war fought and won (and lost) over and over again. Last Friday night week, at a certain hostelry in the village, much frequented by partisans of both political parties, it was the subject of remark that the room was occupied by members of the winning side alone. Tales of the downcast opposite party were freely bandied about, and strange, wild proposals filled the room.

At a late hour one of the prominent members of the opposition arrived, and was greeted with a good natured ” boo.” He acknowledged it with the words, ” Defeated, bat not disgraced.” Cheers were called for and given, and then the party settled down to another of those pleasant evenings of which they have spent so many.

Vicar’s Rebuke

An incident occurred in church on Sunday night week of a very disagreeable nature. Whilst the Vicar was preaching, a party of young men and young women, seated at the back of the church, misconducted themselves in a shameful manner. Stopping his discourse, the reverend gentleman administered a severe and well-deserved rebuke. It is not the first time that their behaviour has been noticed, and it is a pity that these young people know no better, for I suppose we must put it down to that, as no one surely would go to a place devoted to public worship and deliberately misconduct themselves. All will hope that the few words spoken to them will have a good effect.

Promenade

I don’t suppose that anybody in the district knows we possess a promenade at Conisbro’. But it is so. People who know the village will enquire where it is located.

Well, if any one goes to Doncaster by the 8.20 train on Saturday nights, let me ask them to notice either side of the station platform. Young people of both sexes stroll up and down whispering, but I don’t know what they whisper. Bachelors and old married men walk up and down, smoke a pipe, and then after ths train has gone out of the station, stroll up to their homes again. In a few minutes after the train leaves all is quiet again.